Finally, the moment when the Rangers publicly admitted they didn’t fully believe in the upside of Dylan McIlrath came, and out he went.

The Rangers’ No. 10 overall pick from the 2010 draft was traded to the Panthers on Tuesday night in exchange for defenseman Steve Kampfer and a conditional seventh-round pick. If McIlrath plays 30 games for Florida this season, the Blueshirts get the 2018 pick; any less, and no draft pick is included.

McIlrath had ample chance to show he could play the up-tempo style defined by coach Alain Vigneault, which included all last season when he got into 34 games. But the pugilistic 24-year-old righty was surpassed on the depth chart throughout this training camp, and after playing just one of the first seven games of the season, was placed on waivers Oct. 27.

He cleared, showing the opinion of those around the league concerning his viability as a NHL-ready defenseman. After four games with AHL Hartford, general manager Jeff Gorton finally found a trade he could accept, and took it.

“Dylan is a great kid, he deserves a chance to play in the league,” Gorton said before his team’s desultory 5-3 loss to the Canucks at the Garden on Tuesday night. “[Florida] is a team that has been calling me for a while. It’s a fresh start for him, we’ll see where it goes.”

Kampfer, 28, has 134 games of NHL experience with the Bruins, Wild and Panthers, playing 47 games for Florida last season. Yet he was placed on waivers Sunday, cleared, and had again been assigned to the AHL.

The Michigan native and University of Michigan product is on the last year of a two-year deal with an annual salary-cap hit of $612,500, less than McIlrath’s $800,000.

The Rangers had Kampfer in training camp back in 2014, but they traded him to the Panthers as part of a two-for-one deal that then opened a spot for Anthony Duclair.

“We like his speed and skill level and think he’s someone who can help us down the road,” Gorton said. “He can skate and make the first pass. I think along the way we’re going to need more than six or seven [defensemen]. I think he’s going to help us.”

McIlrath, at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, just never showed the skill set Vigneault demands from his defenseman. Asked if Kampfer is a better fit, Gorton confirmed he was.

“There’s probably some truth to that,” he said. “We’re trying to play with more speed and be a little bit more up-tempo. That’s not really Dylan’s game. It didn’t help him that we have a couple of guys who play a more defensive style of game taking those spots.”

Rick Nash scored his 400th career goal on a third-period power play to tie the game, 2-2.

“It’s kind of a bittersweet situation,” Nash said. “It’s been on my mind for a while, trying to hit that number, and it was nice to do it. But I could’ve saved it for a few more games later if we could’ve gotten the two points.”

Forward Josh Jooris skated Tuesday morning wearing a non-contact jersey, the first time he has practiced with the team since suffering a separated left shoulder Oct. 26. Vigneault said he would need “five-to-seven” more days before he can take contact, meaning his return is likely two weeks away, on the same “three-to-four week” schedule that was first predicted.

Vigneault said forward Oscar Lindberg was 100 percent healthy as he remained a scratch for the fifth straight game. Lindberg had offseason hip surgery, but played in four games earlier this season.